What foods should not be missing on the plate

What foods should not be missing on a healthy eating plate

Increasingly, more people is trying to achieve certain beauty standards imposed by the fashion of the moment, which can lead to health problems.

BY Àngela Zorrilla | 04 July 2023

Despite the excessive worship that is currently given in society to the image and the body, the data on obesity and overweight are alarming. According to the World Obesity Atlas of the World Obesity Federation, 51% of the population will be overweight or obese by 2035 if current trends are not reversed. For years now the World Health Organization has been warning about this health problem, which they describe as one of the most worrisome health problem of the 21st century. 

Above all, the increase in cases among children is worrisome. The World Atlas warns that by 2035 the number of children living with obesity will double to 208 million. In all, if no significant action is taken, more than 1.5 billion adults and almost 400 million children will be obese within twelve years.

 

What impact does diet have in our health?

Being overweight, like other associated diseases, can be prevented to some extent. The combination of a healthy diet together with the practice of physical exercise is recommended. But it does not only depend on what a person eats and moves. Other factors such as your vital moment, the state of your mental health, your height, etc. come into play in your weight and constitution. That is, it is not the same to eat exactly the same foods and in the same amount for everyone, for example. And this is one of the first mistakes many people make when it comes to losing weight. 

For many, losing weight is complex and frustrating. They consult, in addition to specialists, alternative methods, how many calories they should eat and if they have to take products to lose weight. Doing it precisely without the advice of medical experts is already a mistake. The answer to all these doubts is, furthermore, that we should not all eat the same thing, although there is something in common: it must be done in a healthy and persistent way over time. That is, a diet should not be something transitory, but should become a habit that accompanies us throughout our lives. 

It is common for people to make certain mistakes when following a slimming diet. Many believe that they must go hungry, for example. Another mistake is not consuming enough protein and eliminating carbohydrates, and above all not basing your diet on a real change in habits where, in addition to taking care of your diet, you get enough rest, stress levels are reduced and exercise physical exercise with some regularity.  

 

What do we mean by 'healthy eating plate'?

A healthy diet, and certain foods, play a crucial role in preventing disease and improving people’s well-being. But not all diets are worth it. The essential thing is to talk, more than restrictions, about good eating habits where balance is the basis. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recalls that a healthy diet helps protect the population from malnutrition and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer or stroke. A good diet provides defenses against some diseases, protects against some pathologies, improves intellectual performance and improves physical appearance. 

Thus, a balanced diet must provide all the nutrients that a person needs for the proper functioning of their body. That is, it must provide an adequate proportion of macronutrients with proteins, fats and carbohydrates, a proportion of micronutrients, which are minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, and a dose of fiber. All of these should come from eating healthy foods.

It is important to establish new eating habits where the intake of sugars and fats is drastically reduced and where the consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains or nuts is prioritized. This is the basis of a balanced, healthy and healthy diet and is far from diets and methods that are not recommended that promise to lose weight quickly. 

In addition, nutrition experts remember that there is no food that by itself loses weight, so certain diets that are based on the consumption of a specific ingredient must be demystified from the outset. It is also important to be aware, in the case of following a diet with the aim of losing weight, that not everyone is capable of losing the same kilos in the same period of time. What may seem slow to one individual may be ideal for another. 

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Interview

“It is more important to focus in the quality of the food than in the quantity”

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